Round TWO of the Petillo Aluminum Double “L” Neck made in 1988 for Jersey Shore music veteran Chris Spiwak. This is after the time when my Dad (Dr. Phil Petillo) designed the Kramer Aluminum Tuning Fork neck and consulted for Travis Bean with the layout/construction of their models as well. This Bass neck my Dad […]
Take a look at this reverse painted clear plastic Stratocaster pickguard with psycodelic mushrooms for Jersey Shore Music veteran Bobby Donofrio aka Bobby D. All the colors were inspired by 1960’s pop culture. The black background and pickup covers really isolates the art work for a deep perspective. I painted the knob numbers, volume and […]
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Take a look at this engraving of a Cross and Sunrays into a Fender style pickguard shape. The pickguard is made of aluminum anodized Aztec gold color. When doing the engraving I cut thru the top layer of the anodizing color to reveal the grey aluminum underneath. I made this for […]
Take a look at this piece I painted called “The Green Fairy’s Lament” for my dear friend Nick Bautista on his Fender Tele. Nick is a painter/singer/songwriter. I incorporated a lot of symbolism in this piece that is taken from Nick’s artwork and his style/music. Check out all the pics
Another addition for my pal William Joseph Batman Telecaster! I spent four hours on the switch tip! I painted a rose with a tooth pic and once it dried I blobbed on clear resin to seal the art. The final step was to shape and buff the resin on the lathe into a dome top […]
This was one of the most fun projects I did with my friend singer/songwriter Matt Cook on his Fender Stratocaster! The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is still one of my favorite cartoons! Growing up, my brother Timmy and I played with the TMNT toys and even the Nintendo video game. The pickguard is made of […]
The last bunch of pics from the Nils Lofgren tribute guitar I did for Kyle and Carol! Nils signed the pickguard I made for Kyle and Carol when they met him at a concert. I handmade all the pieces on this beauty from the Spalted maple pickguard and tremolo cavity covers, the back battery cover […]
Check out my friend Will’s Fender five hole anodized black Telecaster pickguard with the Christopher Nolan style “Tumbler” Batmobile! The outline from the Tumbler was traced with dremel tools and the engraving goes past the black anodizing to reveil the grey aluminum underneath! Take a look at all the pics!
Check out this finish removal on the front and back of this new Fender Duo Sonic for my friend Rob Harris! At first Rob wanted me to remove all the finish off the body of the guitar and make a raw relic type look. I came up with idea of carefully sanding it to the […]
This was a fun project! I made this for Billy Joel’s lead guitar player Tommy Brynes! Check out the process! The engraving method was a wood burning style with small soundhole windows for the eyes and nose of the skull!
It was an honor to get to restore this Bartolini Alvaro model guitar owned by the legendary Hubert Sumlin, guitarist for Howling Wolf working again! Hubert was ranked number 43 in Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time”. The guitar is owned by guitar player/musician Dean Shot! It was such a challenge to work […]
I had to get this black Gibson Chet Atkins guitar done for the Billy Joel show last Thursday at Madison Square Garden in New York. This guitar is used on Billy’s song The Entertainer. I did two weeks work in two days. I was at the mercy of the glue drying on the bridge and […]
Inspiration comes from many places. When Mike asked me to make this body for him and he wanted the classic Fender transculent white color, I immediately thought of the fur on a white tiger. This body is a two piece swirly-arrow-grain book matched Louisiana swamp ash wood. It weighs in at three pounds. I did […]
The milling machine plays a large role in making string instruments and parts of any kind. In this case I milled the neck pickup cavity on this vintage Rickenbacker for my pal Dan Skye to fit his new Creamery neck pickup. Choosing the correct end mill bit and the speed of the cutter is important […]
The pickguard on any guitar really defines the brand/style. Over the years my Dad (Dr. Phil Petillo) and I have designed a lot of pickguard shapes for many of our own handmade guitars and custom orders. When this vintage Guild T-100 was purchased it came without a pickguard and my client wanted something to compliment […]
Check out this broken Warmoth roasted neck restoration for singer songwriter Rob Forst. When drilling a hole in a dried out roasted neck you have to be careful or it can result in a crack which Rob experienced when he installed the tuners. I used my family recipe glue that my Dad (Dr. Phil Petillo) […]
Check out Billy Joel’s Fender anodized gold tremolo cover with secret engravings dyed black of President JFK and Beethoven in the scene. Boxing has a deep meaning to Billy Joel. He was bullied as a kid and learned to box to defend himself. He has a great respect for the sport. I hope you all […]
PETILLO Custom Acoustic Guitar: (Made for my dear friend Gene Deetz & family/completion date – December 12, 2020) Specs/Notes:Soundboard: Spanish cedarBack & Sides: Brazilian rosewood (dark straight grain)Finish: NitroPickguard: clear Martin style Neck: Hondorous mahoganyNeck Heel Cap: Nigerian ebonyFingerboard: Nigerian ebonyFingerboard Inlays: abalone ringsFingerboard Side Dots: Mother of pearlFrets: stainless steel low profile styleNut: Woolley […]
Check out this custom PETILLO Tele neck I made for my friend William Joseph! It was themed after the Christopher Nolan Batman played by actor Christian Bale. The mother of pearl for the inlays was rare to find in big flat pieces. This was such a fun project, check out all the pics!
Bass Specs: 1) top: two piece book matched German quilted maple with laminated thin Nigerian ebony center body highlight 2) back body: two piece book matched American Alder with European inspired geometric inlay design 3) neck: nine piece laminated (made of American birdseye maple, Nigerian ebony and German white holly/handmade lathed stainless steel inserts in […]
